SMITHVILLE – On Thursday, Chenango County Sheriff investigators concluded a nine month-long investigation into a local auction business, charging the operator with a number of crimes including arson, theft and fraud.

Chenango County Sheriff Ernest Cutting, Jr. reported the office's detectives’ division arrested Timothy R. Wakefield, 52, of Smithville, and charged him with first degree scheme to defraud; third and fourth degree grand larceny; third, fourth and fifth degree arson; and petit larceny.

According the sheriff, “It is alleged that since 2018, the Chenango County-based auction business had been conducting numerous auctions throughout Chenango and other surrounding counties and had failed to pay the clients that auctions were being held for.”

“As detectives began to dig deeper into the investigation, detectives kept finding more people that had been victimized. It is reported that some of the victims are owed more than $25,000,” said Cutting.

According to detectives on December 19, 2023 while investigating Wakefield's auction business, the Sheriff's Office 911 Center received a call from the residence of Wakefield reporting a structure fire.

Fire investigators from the Chenango County Office of Emergency Services responded to the Smithville residence and began to investigate the fire. After months of investigations the fire was ruled not accidental.

On March 20 the Chenango County District Attorney's Office presented evidence to a Chenango County Grand Jury and indicted Wakefield on the charges.

On March 28 Wakefield was arrested on numerous felony charges and arraigned him in the Chenango County Court. He pleaded not guilty and was released. He will reappear at a later date.

Cutting said “Numerous search warrants and countless hours were put into this investigation, not only by members of the Sheriff's Office but the District Attorney's Office, and the Office of Emergency Services.”

All crimes described are allegations and suspects are innocent of the charges until proven guilty in a court of law.

– Information from the Chenango County Sheriff's Office